1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to adjustable volume and collapsible containers and in particular to an adjustable volume and collapsible container having a displaceable access means for accessing the stored materials within the container.
2. Description of Related Art
Variable height and variable volume containers are well known in the art:
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,338 is directed to such an adjustable volume container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,338 teaches a perimeter side wall that is adjustably extendable to increase or decrease the volume of the interior space. A removable lid is provided.
Design Patent 342,674 is directed to an ornamental design for an expandable container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,213 is directed to a collapsible and reusable container having a resealable cap.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,252,236 is directed to a carton with an opening for a controlled dispensing of materials therein. The opening reveals the entire side of the stack of materials therein and would be useful for grabbing and dispensing the entire stack of materials.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,325 is directed to an apparatus having a rectangular frame with an inverted y-shaped partition so as to form two compartments for holding two stacks of diapers each at an incline.
While the variable containers of the above-identified patent references are more or less suitable for their intended purposes, they are not suitable for storing diapers or other materials inside while also having a convenient container for medicated or other suitable wipe sheets to be stored. It is essential to have convenient access to these wipes to be able to clean the diaper area of the baby during a diaper change. As such, an adjustable container such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,338 would not be suitable, nor all the other containers of the Relevant Art, because in order to access the contents you must remove the top from the container and set it down in which case the wipe sheets would no longer be at a convenient position for access. Accordingly, it would be desirable to have a variable height/volume container with a non-removable lid that has a displaceable access means for tracking the top height of the materials (such as for example diapers) contained inside and providing access to same.
Briefly, the present invention is a first variable height adjustable container having a displaceable access means for tracking the variable height of the materials contained within the container and providing access to the same. The container of the invention further includes a second non-adjustable fixed container disposed on the top portion of the variable container, said second fixed container having suitable access openings for both placing wipe sheet materials therein and dispensing therefrom. The variable height container includes four side walls, each having pleated accordion-like longitudinal folds disposed on each of its four rectangular architecture side walls and a rigid side wall portion disposed on the top thereof. Said rigid side wall portion has a rectangular access opening suitable for accessing the contents of the container. The principal purpose of the invention is to hold cloth or disposable diapers within the collapsible portion of the container and the access opening is sized to adequately permit easy removal of the top diaper contained therein. There is a second additional rigid container disposed at the top of the rigid top portion of the variable container, said second rigid container is suitable for storing single-sheet treated diaper wipe sheets for use of an individual changing the diaper of a baby. These diaper wipe sheets are preferably impregnated or otherwise treated with medicinal or convenient lotion materials and therefore require a second fully self-contained hermetically sealed storage container to prevent smearing of the treatment materials. The displaceable access means of the present invention therefore is disposed in the side wall of the variable height container directly below the rigid diaper wipe container and directly above the pleated accordion-like side walls of this variable height container. This positioning of the rectangular access means allows this rectangular access means to be displaceable with the displacement of the variable side walls of the variable container and further allows it to constantly track the decreasing height of the diapers or other materials contained therein so as to provide convenient access to the user of the top portion of the diaper or other materials contained therein. Loading of both the diaper wipe sheets and the diapers themselves are provided by two hinges disposed in the side of the rigid top portion of said variable container so as to provide access both to the first lower variable height container and the second upper rigid container. Said containing means further includes rigid access tabs disposed upon the opposite side wall from the flexible hinges so as to provide ease of opening both the top rigid container and the bottom variable height container for placing suitable contents therein. The rigid diaper wipe container on the top further includes either an indentation or a protruding tab disposed in its uppermost surface and a third lid having an opposing flexible hinge from the indentation or protruding tab. The indentation or protruding tab allowing opening of the third access opening so as to provide ease of access to the diaper wipe sheets contained therein. The first variable height container and the second fixed upper container may be formed as a unitary or separate construction without departing from the teachings of the invention.